The outbreak of chikungunya virus (CHIKV) in the Caribbean region, first reported by the World Health Organization (WHO) in December 2013, continues.

Since the initial report, autochthonous transmission of CHIKV has been reported from several islands in the Caribbean. Most of the affected areas continue to report increasing numbers of cases, particularly the Dominican Republic and Haiti. The US Virgin Islands have recently reported their first autochthonous case. Cases have also been reported in mainland South America. There have been almost 150, 000 suspected cases in the region, with at least 14 deaths [1].

As of 17 June 2014, CHIKV infection has been reported from:

- Anguilla

- Antigua and Barbuda

- Aruba

- Barbados

- British Virgin Islands

- Cuba

- Dominica

- Dominican Republic

- French Guiana

- Guadeloupe

- Guyana

- Haiti

- Martinique

- Puerto Rico

- Saint-Barthélemy

- Saint Kitts and Nevis

- Saint Lucia

- Saint Martin

- Saint Maarten

- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

- Turks and Caicos

- US Virgin Islands

- Venezuela [2, 3].

Barbados, Brazil, Chile, Cuba, France (including Tahiti), Italy, Panama, US, Trinidad and Tobago and Venezuela have recently reported chikungunya infection in patients who had travelled to affected areas [1]. On 5 June 2014, the French government confirmed a case in a French mainland resident who had been to Costa Rica [4].

On 13 June 2014, five samples, out of six samples processed at the National Reference Laboratory in El Salvador, were found to be positive for CHIKV. A total of 1,119 suspected cases have been reported in San Salvador and San Vicente municipalities and surrounding communities [5].

Further information on confirmed and suspected CHIKV outbreaks can be accessed via the NaTHNaC Outbreak Surveillance Database.

The two main vectors of CHIKV, Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes, are distributed throughout the Caribbean and the Americas so the region is highly susceptible to the introduction and spread of the virus [6].

The disease is already known to be present in parts of Africa, the Indian Ocean Islands and South and East Asia. The first reported transmission within continental Europe occurred in north-eastern Italy in August 2007 [7].

The outbreak of chikungunya virus (CHIKV) in the Caribbean region, first reported by the World Health Organization (WHO) in December 2013, continues.

Since the initial report, autochthonous transmission of CHIKV has been reported from several islands in the Caribbean. Most of the affected areas continue to report increasing numbers of cases, particularly the Dominican Republic and Haiti. The US Virgin Islands have recently reported their first autochthonous case. Cases have also been reported in mainland South America. There have been almost 150, 000 suspected cases in the region, with at least 14 deaths [1].

As of 17 June 2014, CHIKV infection has been reported from:

- Anguilla

- Antigua and Barbuda

- Aruba

- Barbados

- British Virgin Islands

- Cuba

- Dominica

- Dominican Republic

- French Guiana

- Guadeloupe

- Guyana

- Haiti

- Martinique

- Puerto Rico

- Saint-Barthélemy

- Saint Kitts and Nevis

- Saint Lucia

- Saint Martin

- Saint Maarten

- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

- Turks and Caicos

- US Virgin Islands

- Venezuela [2, 3].

Barbados, Brazil, Chile, Cuba, France (including Tahiti), Italy, Panama, US, Trinidad and Tobago and Venezuela have recently reported chikungunya infection in patients who had travelled to affected areas [1]. On 5 June 2014, the French government confirmed a case in a French mainland resident who had been to Costa Rica [4].

On 13 June 2014, five samples, out of six samples processed at the National Reference Laboratory in El Salvador, were found to be positive for CHIKV. A total of 1,119 suspected cases have been reported in San Salvador and San Vicente municipalities and surrounding communities [5].

Further information on confirmed and suspected CHIKV outbreaks can be accessed via the NaTHNaC Outbreak Surveillance Database.

The two main vectors of CHIKV, Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes, are distributed throughout the Caribbean and the Americas so the region is highly susceptible to the introduction and spread of the virus [6].

The disease is already known to be present in parts of Africa, the Indian Ocean Islands and South and East Asia. The first reported transmission within continental Europe occurred in north-eastern Italy in August 2007 [7].